International Center for Investigation of Russian War Crimes Opens in The Hague, Netherlands

Didier Reynders (second from left) and EU Commissioner for Justice held a press conference on the opening of the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression (ICPA) on the 3rd (local time) in The Hague, Netherlands. [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

The International Center for the Prosecution of Aggression Crimes (ICPA), established to investigate war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine and collect related evidence, officially began operations on the 3rd (local time).

The European Union (EU) Commission announced in a press release that the ICPA office, set up at the headquarters of the European Criminal Justice Cooperation Organization (Eurojust) in The Hague, Netherlands, has started its operations.

Going forward, the ICPA will investigate war crimes committed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, involving Russian leadership including President Vladimir Putin, and accumulate related evidence. This is in preparation for a possible future international trial.

The joint investigation team includes special prosecutors dispatched from some EU member states as well as the United States. The establishment of the ICPA is regarded as the first step toward setting up a "special tribunal," which the West is considering to supplement the current limitations of the International Criminal Court (ICC). For the ICC to exercise jurisdiction, the involved country must be a party to the "Rome Statute of the ICC," but Russia has withdrawn from the ICC agreement and does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction.

This background also explains why Ukraine has continuously requested the West to establish a special tribunal to supplement the ICC system, following the discovery of hundreds of civilian bodies in the city of Bucha within Ukraine, which Russia withdrew from in April last year. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, has previously publicly expressed support for the establishment of a special tribunal dedicated to Russia's crimes of aggression.

The EU is expected to accelerate international discussions on establishing a special tribunal, starting with the operation of the ICPA. However, there are still divided opinions within the West regarding the establishment and operation methods of the special tribunal. To be recognized with authority comparable to the ICC, international support is essential. Ukraine hopes to secure a United Nations General Assembly resolution concerning the establishment of the special tribunal.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.